Lawliet
by Eskarina
Summary: A light-hearted little soap opera like story about an AU, wherein L and Misa are together, contains OC's. L/Misa, Matt/Mello. Contains mass fluff.
1. A Daughter?

The police called it 'the L building'. The public called it 'The empty tower', because no-one was ever seen entering or leaving it.

A few people called it 'home'.

Six people, to be precise, soon to be seven.

Watari, the faithful old man, buzzed from one computer terminal to the next, checking on his boys and topping up their various supplies as needed.

He reached to try and remove the open pack of cigarettes on Matt's desk, reasoning that he was distracted.

Matt didn't even turn around, merely warned softly, "Don't even think about it."

At the desk across from him in this circular room, Mello sniggered.

"Matt-kun has cut down on his addiction recently, it is making him cranky." L observed, typing away at the keyboard. "I do wonder _why _he is doing this."

Matt rolled his eyes, "Gotta try and cut back a bit while Misa's up the duff."

L frowned, "I don't like that phrase, Matt." He spotted in the reflection of his screen that Matt was about to go through his impressive repertoire of euphemisms for his wife's condition. "I will remind Matt that I am a lot stronger than I look and am short on temper."

Matt sighed, "Fine, fine, Misa is 'pregnant', so I'm cutting back."

Near, stoic as he sat on the floor, building a large city from plastic blocks, mumbled, "Matt never smokes around her anyway."

"Yeah, but the smoke still hangs around in the air, I'd rather she wasn't breathing that crap."

Mello frowned a little, "Oh, but you don't mind me getting lungfuls of it?!"

Matt raised a red eyebrow, "You know the deal, I quit when you quit chocolate, diabetes boy."

The leather-clad blonde scowled and fell silent.

Watari smiled all through this exchange and thought of how wonderful things had been going since the capture and execution of Kira.

Oh, of course Misa had been terribly upset, but L, being a gentleman (and utterly smitten) had seen to it that she was looked after. And in that time after her mourning, she'd somehow fallen in love with the detective.

They'd married in England, and after their wedding L had remarked upon his protégés progress into adulthood.

A year later the boys had come to Japan. Now L was not one person, but four. By far this was the best solution. Mello and Near no longer competed, happy to be helping.

And then there'd been the wonderful news from Misa that she was expecting a baby. L had promptly passed out and been revived by waving a bar of chocolate beneath his nose. (Mello's idea)

Nine months later and she was _glowing_ with life. Her skin had taken on a lovely translucent gold quality and though she complained that she'd never get her figure back, L spoke of her reverently, saying she had never been more beautiful.

"Watari-san."

He shook himself from his daydream and looked across at L.

"How is Misa-chan?" he asked. To anyone who didn't know him he was casual. Watari could see he was anxious.

Watari smiled kindly, "She's in your room, resting. She has eaten most of the strawberry shortcake and expressed her wishes that the child would hurry up and be born."

The poor girl, two weeks past her due date and now utterly fed up with being pregnant. The boys (excluding her husband, of course) were wisely avoiding her room.

L nodded and bit his thumb. "Nothing can be done to make her more comfortable?"

Watari shook his head, "You were there when the doctor told you both, there's nothing _wrong_ with the child, it just doesn't want to come yet." He topped up L's coffee. "I suspect it will arrive when we are all least expecting it."

L nodded weakly.

Watari beamed on the inside. He'd always thought of L as a surrogate son, and to be with him now as he waited for his own child was a remarkable feeling.

He knew the gender of the baby, of course. The parents wanted it to be a surprise, but he'd been to the ultrasounds that L had been unable to attend and with his basic knowledge of biology he was reasonably sure that soon L would have a beautiful daughter.

He'd already purchased a few basic pink baby clothes, and was intending on surprising the parents with a fully ready nursery for the little angel when she decided to put in an appearance.

~*~*~

Apparently the baby decided the dead of night was the best time to show up.

The scream was what brought Watari running down the hall of the floor devoted to homes.

As he pounded down the carpet he was vaguely aware of a door opening and A befuddled Matt and Mello peering out of it in their boxer shorts, but he paid them no heed. That scream was feminine, and that could only mean Misa.

Ignoring his usual manners, he shoulder-charged the door to Misa and L's modest apartment open and stared around frantically.

Bedroom.

He jogged over and met L in the doorway, hair messier around his head than usual and clad in only his loose jeans.

"Misa's water just broke." He managed to mumble out as he chewed the nail of his thumb. "It gave her a bit of a shock."

Watari nodded, then gently but firmly pushed L to one side and made his way to the en suite bathroom.

There was Misa, in her pink nightdress (stretched over her baby bump), looking surprised and more than a little frightened, a towel clenched between her legs.

"Watari!" She squeaked. "Misa doesn't know what to do, what do I do?!"

Watari was a very good man to know in a crisis. He assured the girl that all she had to do was stay calm, he grabbed her husband and told him in a voice not used since L was a child that he had to help Misa to her bed and try to keep her calm.

He stormed back to the hall, where Matt and Mello were waiting curiously, and told them to phone a doctor and fetch some clean towels.

He let the doctor into the building (hospital was too risky to L and Misa), showed her the room and then _finally_ allowed someone else to get on with the whole messy business.

The three heirs waited out in the hallway. The two M's had the presence of mind to find some clothes and throw them on. Near sat against the wall, playing quietly with a rubix cube and wincing every now and then when Misa could be heard screaming.

Mello shuddered. "Matt, remind me never to have kids."

"Ditto, I ain't loosing my figure just so you can have a mini-Mello." Matt replied, eyes fixed on his hand-held.

Watari paced around, anxious to meet the child he would _definitely_ call his granddaughter, wondering what her name would be, what she would look like… should it really be taking so long?

L appeared in the doorway, looking more of a mess than he ever had in his life. Watari thought he could see tears on his face.

They looked up expectantly.

L shook his head, "Misa is having some trouble… the umbilical cord is around the baby's neck. The Doctor says it is no major concern for the moment, but…"

Watari frowned and gave the boy a firm push back towards the room, "Don't waste time telling us this, _she_ needs you."

Matt smirked from his spot sat on the floor, "You're gonna be a great granddad, Watari."

Watari sighed, "I hope so… it'll be wonderful to have a pretty little granddaughter."

The heirs blinked.

"It's a girl?" Mello asked.

Watari cursed himself for that slip of the tongue, but saw no point in denying it. "I saw it on the ultrasound."

Mello grinned, "Hey Matt, you owe me two hundred yen."

For a while there wasn't much talking. It was hard to when there were still those occasional screams.

And then they heard a cry that wasn't Misa's.

It was a pair of brand-new lungs at full volume.

They grinned at one another.

Twenty minutes passed, and then slowly, an exhausted-looking L emerged, grinning from ear to ear.

"Misa says you may come in now…" he gasped out.

They trooped in quietly, and beheld a perfect sight.

Misa, looking tired out but happier than her wedding day. In her arms, resting against her chest, a miniature human being.

Watari had never seen a more beautiful baby, and he had seen a few in his time. Such fine blonde curls, and porcelain skin… her eyes opened and they were liquid pools of black, just like her father.

"Oh…" Mello breathed. "Look how cute…Matt, look."

Matt smiled faintly at the sudden maternal attitude his boyfriend was displaying. "Yeah Mells, I see. She looks just like you." He replied jokingly.

Near offered a little panda plushie to L, mumbling something about a present for the baby.

"So I guess you're Aunt Mello now?" Matt asked, unsure of what else to say.

Mello didn't react with his usual rage at being called a girl, he laughed a little and responded, "Yeah, I'll take her shopping and stuff."

Misa frowned a little, confused.

L tilted his head. "…There seems to be a misunderstanding. Baby is a _boy._ We are going to call him Justice."

The heir's faces were filled with shock.

"Watari said…" Mello started, turning to see the old man.

Watari was already gone, wondering how long it would take to have a nursery re-decorated in blue.


	2. Aunt' Mello

Misa had always wanted children, convinced, as she was that babies were cute, never messy or loud at inconvenient moments.

No, she was utterly certain of the fact that _her_ baby boy was going to be an angel when he was born.

As it turned out, she was in for an unpleasant shock.

Justice ('Jay', as they referred to him), was a whiney baby, wanted to be with his mother at all times if possible, and would only tolerate being held by someone else if she was at least in the room.

Initially she'd liked this, Misa loved the feeling of being so needed and unconditionally loved by someone. Something she'd been looking for much of her life in her choice of men, she realised. Love that was so totally without question.

But she grew weary of it. Oh, she loved her baby son more than she knew she could love anyone, but his clinging was making it hard for her to do anything beyond sitting with him in her arms.

L tried to assure her it was just a phase the baby was going through, and he'd stop being so clingy soon. Misa secretly wondered if L was jealous of either her or the baby.

After all, Jay would barely allow his father to hold him or play with him, once or twice he'd even wriggled and cried when she handed him over to L.

And Misa had been spending a lot of her attention on Jay, going whole days without speaking to her husband at times.

That had been when he was four months old. Now he was coming up on his first birthday, and he was still clinging to mommy like a newborn.

L was worrying about her, Misa knew. She saw it in his eyes every time she was woken at midnight by those heart-breaking cries, he wouldn't take his bottle unless Misa was there, meaning it was she who had to get up every time.

Much as she wanted to deny it, her baby was draining her of sanity and energy at an alarming rate.

One night, not long before his first birthday, she awoke to cries again, and this time all she could do was bury her head in a pillow and whimper herself, too tired to get up and care for her own baby.

She felt so _ashamed_ for it, she'd been so hoping that she'd be a good mother, and yet lately all she could think of was that she wished he'd go away.

She felt L move beside her and place his arms around her shivering form.

"Misa-chan…"

"I can't… I can't bear it L… I'm so tired…" she sobbed against his chest.

L nodded and stroked her back in a way he hoped was reassuring, he still wasn't really used to physical contact, even with his beloved wife.

"Misa is such a bad mommy…" she gasped. "Misa keeps wishing Jay would just disappear…"

L sighed. "You're tired, Misa-chan, that is all." He kissed her forehead, noting that her honey-coloured skin was loosing some of the healthy glow she usually possessed. "Misa must not worry herself so, she will make herself ill."

Her only response was a shivering sob.

"Misa will stay here and rest for the rest of the night. I will go and look after Jay." He said firmly, rising from the bed and picking up the baby monitor that was still emitting cries.

Misa didn't seem to have the strength or will to argue with him as he left the room, stopping only to cover her over properly with the blankets.

He was right, he knew. Misa was just suffering from extreme exhaustion, and it was probably partially his fault for not making more of an effort to bond with the child.

He walked down the hall, cold in the night, and colder still since he was only in his jeans, to the nursery, the door opened with a light creak.

It was a nice room, L liked it in there. Pale blue walls and furniture, though there were pink flowers on the walls too. Watari said they were cherry blossoms, since the boy would be mostly Japanese.

For a moment the cries stopped, waiting, most likely, to see who had come into the room.

When those little black eyes focused on his father, Jay continued to cry.

L sighed and reached down into the cot, picking up his young son and attempting to rock him.

"Shh… Jay-kun has tired mommy out." He whispered, realising how odd it seemed to try and explain to a one year old _why_ his mother hadn't come.

He reached one bony hand to the pre-warmed bottle and offered it to the baby.

It scowled and continued to cry loudly.

L sighed and looked around the room before moving to sit on the chair nearest the cot. It proved something of a struggle not to bring his knees up as he usually did.

"Shhh… shhh…" he mumbled, wondering what else Misa did that got the baby to sleep. He tried humming vaguely. If anything that only made him cry louder.

L just wasn't very good with infants. Little children were a different story, and teenagers were fine, but babies were a whole alien world to L. Probably why he had left so much to Misa.

He groaned slightly. "Jay will please be quiet?" he tried.

The door opened suddenly and L's head jerked up.

There was Mello, his usually perfect hair was stuck out around his head, and navy eyes dark with sleepiness.

He looked around the room once, made a noise like a growl and marched over, seizing the baby from L's arms.

Before L could protest, Mello, in one movement, grabbed the bottle and popped it into the infant's screaming mouth, effectively silencing him.

Jay seemed surprised for a moment, but drank happily and began to doze in Mello's arms.

L blinked. "…How did Mello-kun do that?"

Mello frowned, still mostly asleep. "I dunno, maybe the brat just likes me." He rocked Jay a couple of times then calmly replaced him in the cot, taking the bottle from the now-asleep baby's mouth.

He left before L could say thank you.

Jay slept all through that night, and the next. Right up until his birthday, giving Misa a chance to recover entirely her happy demeanour.

None of the bizarre little family could work out what had made Jay so willing to sleep when Mello tended to him.

Not until his birthday when, having the same apparent flair for the dramatic as his mother, Jay said his first word.

It was 'Mama'. Not an unusual first word for a baby. The only strangeness was that he directed it to Mello.


	3. Rising Star

Jay was three when the biggest turning point in his life occurred.

They'd tried allowing him to stay with the detectives all day, but problems soon arose from that.

Mello was just so completely taken with the idea of being a good uncle that he'd sit with the child in his lap, telling him all about how 'uncle mello ran the mafia' (despite L's protests that he shouldn't)

Matt would take any excuse to play his beloved video games with Jay rather than work and though the child was no more remarkable in terms of his intelligence than any other child, Near was more than happy to observe the toddler playing with his numerous toys.

Asking Watari to babysit wasn't much better, Jay just demanded too much attention for the old man to cope with him and the detectives he worked under at the same time.

So Jay ended up going with his mother to her various photo shoots all over the city. He seemed to enjoy it, watching his mother posing in front of the cameras and calmly observing the dozens of people who ran around organising things.

It can't be any real surprise why this world drew him in. Through his eyes, his mother had the world at her feet, people ran around doing things for her just because she was beautiful, she was the centre of attention.

Misa paused from one of her pouting poses to look over to the chair where she had placed Jay with his panda-teddy and a lollipop, usually enough to keep him silent for an hour without fussing for her, a necessity on these long shoots.

Her heart leapt into her throat.

Jay wasn't there.

"Where's my little boy?!" She shrieked at once, leaping from the podium where she was being photographed and racing to the chair, staring around wildly as though the little blonde boy would appear by magic in front of her eyes.

Instantly the various workers on the set started searching, under and around the various large pieces of equipment… this shoot in particular was taking place in a busy studio, where even adults could get lost, let alone a curious three-year-old.

Misa didn't know what to do, working herself into a panic, her mind conjuring up visions of what could have happened to her precious son, the only worthwhile thing she'd ever managed to do with her life and now he was gone, possibly in horrible danger…

"Misa! We found him! You'd better come look at this."

She gasped in relief and followed the worker at speed, certain that something dreadful had happened, perhaps a piece of equipment fell and crushed him, or…

She almost skidded in her heeled shoes. Her big blue eyes widened.

There was her little angel, her precious baby boy.

On a separate set, a t.v. ad for a kids cartoon show. There he was, a big smile across his pretty little face, performing as though he'd never known anything other but a camera in his face. He giggled adorably on cue.

Misa hurried silently to the director of this set, "Sir, I'm so sorry… that's my Jay, he must have wandered on here on his own…"

The director lifted one eyebrow, "Misa Amane? And that's your son up there? I didn't know you were married."

Misa gulped, of course it had been a secret, and now there was bound to be something of a media frenzy to deal with. "It was a very private wedding. He doesn't really want to be in papers and things…" she mumbled, "And yes, that's my Jay… he was just watching me earlier and-"

"Forget that, Mrs. Amane, your kids one of the best child actors I've seen all day. He's not even been distracted since he noticed you're here, see? He's still performing for the camera."

Misa blushed and watched Jay hop around on the set with a couple of other children.

"Is he in classes? Been in anything else?" the director pressed.

"No, he's only three, he's only watched me at work…" Misa replied, stunned. Most of her model friends weren't as professional as this child was being.

"Misa, the boy's a natural… with your permission, I'd love to use him in this ad… you should probably talk about it with your husband, but I'd recommend getting him an agent… that boy was born to be in front of a camera."

The filming finished, and then, only then, did Jay hop down from the set and skip over to his mother, smiling up at her so beautifully that she didn't have it in her to tell him off for leaving.

Later on, there were words between L and Misa.

"I'm not certain about this, Misa. I know you say he's a natural, but Jay is also only a child, I don't want to force him into the spotlight."

Misa sighed, "Misa knows that, but L isn't listening… Misa doesn't want to push Jay either, but Misa and L aren't going to be forcing him, he _chose_ to do this." She shook her head to herself; "L should have seen how happy and natural he looked. Misa thinks that the stage is where Jay will go if we help him or not."

L leant back a little in his office chair, biting his thumb, "Mm… How about this? Jay will be in this commercial he filmed today, but after that, no more acting or modelling jobs until he is five, yes?"

Misa nodded, "Agreed."

Of course, no amount of parental bargaining could stop their son once he'd evidently made up his mind. It was only two weeks later that he managed to work his way into one of Misa's photo shoots with some other children who'd been hired.

Four weeks later and the little boy clearly wasn't going to stop wandering off onto other sets just because he kept being told off for it. Evidently the camera was his first love.

Matt joked that Jay had inherited Mello's need for constant attention.

And by the time Justice Lawliet (Jay Amane in public) turned five, he was a child star.


	4. Rotten

"Ok Jay! That's a wrap! You were great, as always." The man grovelled to the little boy, a star in his own right at such a young age, he was going to be the main attraction for this kids show.

Jay smiled across at the director, seven and already an expert in the art of getting people to do exactly what he wanted. Originally he'd only had a minor role for this show, but it had only taken a couple of cute smiles and a 'strong suggestion' by his agent, and now he was the star again.

That was just how Jay liked it. His dad told him once or twice that perhaps he should give someone else the chance to be the star, but Jay always reasoned that he was cuter than any of the other children, so he _deserved_ to be the centre of attention.

He spied Watari waiting for him on the edge of the set as he grabbed his little backpack from under his chair. He grinned and ran over to the old man, crying out, "Grampa!"

Watari smiled and patted the boy's head. "Hello Jay. Did you have a good time today?"

Jay blinked his liquid black eyes adorably, "Uh-huh! They're gonna make me the main character!"

Watari nodded, only half-listening to the boy's ramblings as he led him towards the car. He knew it really wasn't his place to make this judgement, but he thought that Misa and L ought to be paying a little more attention to the child, he was getting to be very obnoxious and demanding at times, usually when he didn't get what he wanted.

Of course, he knew it wasn't entirely their faults, they both had jobs that demanded their attention much of the time, leaving Jay in the care of his uncles. And Mello, evidently Jay's favourite, spoiled him rotten.

Watari nodded to himself as he pulled up to the secret garage of the L building. What Jay really needed at the moment, preferably before it got too late, was someone to tell him 'No'.

He turned to look into the backseat, "We're home now Jay, go and have a rest and then we'll start your lesson."

Jay was being home schooled, mostly by Watari. Occasionally his father would put in an appearance and try to teach him but Jay didn't really respond much to him.

The boy in the back seat yawned and stretched, "Aw… but I'm so tired… can't I skip class today Grampa? Pleaaase?"

Watari stared into those liquid black eyes, twin pools of innocence, and saw his own reflection.

"I suppose so, but just for today." He replied with a sigh, watching Jay grin and hop out of the car, running for the entrance.

He was already so used to the high-security, dropping his backpack and shoes into the metal detector before allowing his eye to be scanned.

Watari groaned as he watched, realising that though he knew very well that Jay needed to be told 'no' once in a while, he had been completely unable to tell him that. That boy was a master at manipulation.

What he really needed, Watari supposed, was a bit of a shock, just to show him he wasn't the only person in the world who mattered.

~*~*~

A short beeping noise sounded in the main investigation room.

Matt raised an eyebrow, "What was that?"

L sighed, climbing stiffly out of his chair and stretching, looking for all the world like a wooden puppet. "That was to tell L that Misa-chan is home. We are both going to have dinner with Jay."

Mello and Matt exchanged glances.

"That's a bit… weird, for you three." Matt commented. "Usually either you or Misa's too busy."

L frowned a little, "It is not out of choice that we have so little time to spend with Jay. But today we have both made the effort to go home early."

Mello smirked, "Oh I get it, you're going to tell him today." He said knowingly.

L tilted his head, "Tell him what? L has no idea what Mello is talking about."

Mello laughed, "L, you're in a room with three of the best detectives in the world."

Matt nodded, "Yeah, we probably knew before you did."

L sighed, "Evidently L underestimated his heirs. Will you please not tell anyone else, especially not Jay? Misa and I wish to break it to him gently."

The heirs agreed and L left, making his slow way up to the apartment floor, he and Misa had moved into the penthouse shortly after Jay was born, so that he'd have more room to play and grow up in.

As the elevator numbers passed in front of his blank eyes, L thought on how much things had changed for him since the Kira case. He had more people around him now than he had ever had before, and he had to admit that he liked it. He liked having his heirs, whose intelligence rivalled his own, who could be relied upon to correct his thinking without making him feel an idiot.

He had a wife, his beautiful Misa whom he loved more and more every moment he was with her, and she was so devoted and adoring, L had no doubt in his mind that she was the mythical 'one true love' assigned to him.

And Justice. Jay, his boy.

Well, he loved Jay, of course. He'd loved the child from the moment he laid eyes on him. But… well, even Misa had to admit that Jay was more 'her' son. He was bright and _pretty_, his only connection to his father being those big black eyes and a preference for strawberry candy over any other.

The elevator 'pinged' and the doors opened.

Misa spotted L walking in as she placed the three plates on the table, "Hi Eru!" She cooed, running over and hugging her husband, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder. Her hair smelled of strawberry shortcake.

"Hi daddy!" Jay chirped from his seat, much less reactive to seeing his father.

L nodded to the boy, "Hello Justice."

"Jay." The boy corrected him, reaching for his fork.

L sighed and took his own seat, resisting the urge to pull his knees up and sit as he usually did. "Of course, my mistake. Jay."

They waited until dessert to tell Jay, reasoning that sweets would keep him reasonably calm, especially since it was his favourite (and L's too).

"Jay-kun, Mommy and Daddy have something to tell you." Misa started, a little nervous, but it was obvious L wasn't going to start this awkward conversation, given that he was busily stuffing strawberry shortcake into his mouth.

Jay barely looked up from his own cake, suddenly looking very much like a small, blonde L. "What's that mommy?"

Misa gave L's leg a kick under the table.

L looked up, "Hm? Oh. Yes. There is a surprise in store for Jay."

Jay's head jerked up, a smile across his face, expectant of whatever present he was about to get. "What surprise? A new bike?!" he squeaked, he'd been wanting a proper bike for weeks and so far his demands had been brushed off with 'We'll see' from both his parents.

Misa smiled and grabbed L's hand under the table. "No Jay, not a new bike." She swallowed, "Mommy is going to have a baby."

Jay blinked. Then frowned a little, confused. "Mommy already has a baby."

"Justice… sorry, Jay, is not a baby anymore, he is seven." L pointed out.

Misa nodded, "Yes… but isn't that exciting Jay? You'll have a baby brother or sister."

Jay pouted, a deep frown crossing his features. "I don't _want_ one. Send it back."

Down in the main investigation room, the heirs were gathered around the monitor that showed the camera feed from that room.

They watched Jay start to throw a hissy fit and winced slightly at the kid's obvious tantrum in reaction to being told he wasn't going to be the only child here anymore.

As an afterthought, Matt observed, "Hey Mello, he's got the same 'sulking' face as you."


	5. This time for Sure

The next few months were hellish for everyone in the building. Jay was extremely good at sulking and not speaking to people when he was in a really bad mood, and this was the worst one yet.

He literally didn't speak to his mother or father for weeks at a time, spending most of his time out on sets.

The person he spoke to most during his sulking was Mello. Admittedly he would start his conversations by waiting until L was in the same room, and then…

Jay sidled up to Mello and tugged at his arm, "Uncle Mello!"

Mello turned in his chair, "Yeah?"

Jay smiled and held his hands up, like a toddler wanting to be picked up. Mello grinned and obliged, not finding it suspicious that Jay was suddenly so affectionate with him. The little boy had once complained that Mello's leather was too slippery, but now he seemed to deliberately seek Mello out.

Mello voiced this to Matt one night, while he was watching the red-head playing on yet another hand-held game.

"Jay's being really sweet lately."

Matt rolled his eyes, "Well duh, you spoil him."

Mello pouted, "I'm s'posed to, I'm his uncle, its my job. Anyway he's been in such a bad mood with everyone else, I figure I can cheer him up…"

"Or make it worse." Matt responded. "C'mon Mells, you're not this stupid. The kid's using you to get at L and Misa."

Mello scowled, "What?! No, Jay's always liked me better than-"

"Better than his mum?" Matt switched the beeping game off, turning to face Mello in the bed, "Mells, he only starts begging for your attention when they're in the room. He's just using you to upset them."

Mello started to come up with a retort, then the pieces slipped into place in his head. "…Crap." He groaned. "Where did that kid learn to be like that, huh?"

Matt smiled fondly and reached one hand to mess Mello's hair, "Probably from you."

Mello suddenly stopped giving Jay the attention he was begging for the next day. It didn't exactly break Jay out of this nasty, snappy mood, but it did mean he had to start talking _nicely_ to the other adults in his life if he hoped for any of them to show him any kindness.

Still, he wouldn't to sit with his mother and when her bump was getting very big and the baby started kicking, he utterly refused to put his hand on her stomach to feel it, muttering that it was 'gross'.

Everyone he would listen to tried to talk him into being excited about getting a baby brother or sister, but as L pointed out, the boy had inherited both of his parents stubbornness. He wouldn't even cheer up when Watari whispered that he was almost certain it was a girl. He refused to tell the three heirs his observations from Misa's scans, not since after Jay's birth he had been teased for quite some time.

Jay simply frowned and said, "So what?"

"Well… there's no need to feel like you're being replaced, if it's a girl." Watari reasoned. "And little girls need big brothers to look after them, I believe."

Jay shook his head, "Whatever falls out of my mommy is on it's own." He snapped, then got up and stomped off to sulk elsewhere.

For nine months this went on, until one night…

~*~*~

"Jay… Jay… Justice!"

Jay groaned, "Go 'way… sleeping…"

Near frowned and pinched the little boy's ear. "Misa is in labour with your sibling."

Jay sat up a bit. "Mhh? What's labour mean? What's a sibling?"

Near rolled his eyes at this child, not realising that in general, children were not blessed with his level of intelligence. "She is going to have your baby brother or sister tonight, very soon, judging by how she was screaming. L asked me to fetch you."

A faint squeal in Misa's voice echoed down the corridor.

Jay's eyes lit up with concern and fear, "Mommy's hurt?"

Near sighed, wondering how to explain this to a confused and frightened child who wasn't really that bright to begin with.

He was saved having to work that out when Jay jumped out of his bed and went racing down the corridor to his parent's room.

He almost tripped over Matt, who was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall as he had when jay had entered the world.

Mello grabbed Jay by the back of his pyjamas and pulled him back from bursting into the room where Misa was giving birth, by the sound of it, for whatever reason this one was causing her more pain.

Jay whined and wriggled, "Lemme go! Mommy's hurt!!"

Mello sighed and picked him up properly, "What'd Near tell you?"

"Only the facts." Near mumbled, appearing as if from no-where on the floor next to Matt. "That she is in labour."

Matt frowned, "You couldn't have sugar-coated it a bit? He's only a kid."

"He is seven, nearly eight, he is perfectly old enough to understand-"

Mello glared, snapping "Near, shut the hell up. Matt, call me when the damn thing is over." Before calmly sweeping away with Jay in his arms, into the kitchen.

Watari was already there, making some warm drinks for everyone and just trying to stay out of the way. He raised his eyebrows at the two blondes, but didn't ask any questions.

Mello sat Jay on one of the chairs and marched over to the fridge, examining the contents critically before pulling out a bowl of strawberries and putting them in front of Jay.

"Go on, you may as well eat something." He muttered, taking the other seat and pulling out one of his ever-present chocolate bars. "Look, your brother or sister or mutated alien or whatever it is, it's just coming out of your mum's stomach right now, and it hurts."

Jay frowned, grabbing one of the fruits and biting hard. "I hate it."

"You were the same, Jay." Mello replied evenly, "From what I hear, it always hurts." He smirked a little; Jay looked surprised at the notion that he could ever hurt his mother. "You know… your mum thinks the world of you. It wouldn't hurt to pretend to be happy about this for a while."

Jay's expression of confused anger faded slightly, then melted away to a look of resignation. "Ok… I'll act, for mommy."

Mello's cell phone beeped. He glanced down at the slightly glowing screen, then smiled across at his nephew. "Lights, camera, action."

~*~*~

They sent Jay in first. It was a family moment, after all.

Jay stood in the doorway to his parents room and stared blankly.

There was his dad, sitting on the edge of the bed, one arm around his mother. There was his mom, sitting up in bed, resting against pillows and L's arm, and laying in her cradled arms…

A tiny little pale pink thing, swirls of black hair on it's head that looked too big for the rest of it. It was silent, sleeping.

"…What's that?" Jay asked, pointing at the thing.

L looked up and smiled, "Jay is speaking to us?"

Jay nodded, and allowed his dad to pick him up and carry him over to the bed.

"This, Jay-kun, is your little sister." Misa cooed.

Jay blinked at this information. "…She's very small."

L nodded, "She arrived a little too early, but she is a very strong little girl."

Misa beamed at the expression on Jay's face, one she hadn't seen for a long time. A sudden rush of surprise and affection coated his pretty features on the sight of his baby sister, weak though she might have been.

"She needs a name, Jay-kun." Misa whispered. "Do you have any ideas?"

For a while Jay was very quiet, a rare occurrence for him.

Then his sister opened her eyes.

They were big, round, and as black and limpid as two pools of night. She stared directly at Jay and though she didn't change her expression at all, she seemed suddenly to be studying him.

"Her eyes are all round…" Jay whispered. "Like moons."

They named her Tsuki Lawliet.


	6. Eyes

They were right about Tsuki, she was a strong little girl. She might not have been the best physical specimen, but she more than made up for it with mental ability. L was at first ridden with guilt when they realised that their beautiful little daughter had inherited his own autism, but Misa pointed out to him that there was always a chance of that, and she had always hoped one of their babies would be a genius like their father.

A genius was exactly what Tsuki was, and not only due to her autism.

At four months of age she would lay with Near in the detective room building complicated towers out of his blocks.

By six months she was forming words.

And those eyes of hers held secrets not discovered until one night…

L was putting her to bed, she seemed to prefer him over Misa as Jay had once preferred Misa over L. His pretty dark-haired daughter seemed to adore him.

As he turned to leave her nursery and turn out the light, she gurgled out "Lawliet."

L skidded to a halt in the doorway. He turned slowly and stared at his daughter, laying there on her back babbling noises that were beginning to sound like words.

"Tsuki-chan?" he said calmly, walking back to her cot.

She smiled up at him and repeated. "Lawliet."

L felt his heart rate speed up. No-one in his small family called him by his last name like that. He couldn't think of anywhere Tsuki could have picked it up… what were the odds that she was just making up words?

He glanced down into those two perfectly round eyes, studying his face like wise moons.

She knew _exactly_ what she was saying.

He picked her up and hurried down to the investigation room, where his heirs were beginning the long process of shutting down the computers for the night.

Matt looked up when he heard L enter. "…Hey Sherlock. Somethin wrong?"

L nodded, then shook his head, seemed to reconsider and nodded again.

The three heirs exchanged confused looks.

"Tsuki-chan knows L's full name."

Their eyes widened. Mello instantly yelped out, "I didn't tell it to her!"

L nodded, "L knows that, no-one has told Tsuki my name, I cannot understand where she learnt it."

The baby in his arms yawned and looked around the room for a moment before chirping. "Mail."

Matt's eyes widened behind his golden goggles. "That was… How the heck did she…?"

L frowned. "Shh. Let us see if she does it again."

They waited in silence. After a moment the dark-haired infant let her eyes sweep the room again and fixed suddenly on a spot over Near's head.

"Nate River." She gurgled.

If Near was as disturbed by this as Matt, he showed no sign of it. He continued twirling his hair.

L blinked. "Tsuki looked at the spot _above_ Near's head…" he swallowed. "…Impossible… but… BB was her uncle by blood… and Misa…" he stared down into his baby daughter's big black eyes, like his own…

No, they weren't like his. He could see that now he looked. There was the very slight reddish tint that he'd seen only a few times before. Eyes like those of his disturbed and deceased twin.

"What're you talkin about Sherlock?" Matt snapped, trying to cover up for his fright that the child had known his name. "Why'd she say Near's last name too?"

L looked up, "I believe Tsuki-chan has been born with the shinigami eyes." After pausing a moment, a small smile crossed his features. "And L's clever little girl can _read._"

~*~*~

A few more tests confirmed it, Tsuki was born with the eyes.

And more importantly, to L anyway, she was able to read.

Some names were harder for her to say, and they realised quickly that if she wasn't sure how to pronounce a name, she wouldn't read it out, hence why she hadn't bothered to say Matt's last name.

She grew out of saying names very quickly though; it seemed to bore her. Still, a lot of attention was focused on her suddenly, talks about how to educate her came up a lot at the dinner table, how they should explain her abilities to her when she was older, and how this could have happened.

With all of this focus on Tsuki, the little genius sister, it was no wonder Jay went off the rails.

It started simply enough, with him answering back a couple of times when he was told what to do on set.

That slipped slowly into him being known among the various workers in the tv and film industry as a prima donna, an in-joke about his feminine features and build.

Jay found out about that and had several people on one of his sets fired for it.

He turned eleven, and started appearing in a few films he knew his parents wouldn't approve of, in some twisted bid to grab their attention the only way he knew how. Of course it only worked temporarily, since Tsuki was four years old when she solved a case her father had been working on for weeks.


	7. Love

Jay was fifteen when he fell in love.

It was a simple thing, really, as it often is when you're young and just beginning to understand the world.

He was lucky, when he went through the hell of puberty he somehow managed to avoid all the usual traps adolescence laid out and emerged as a handsome young man, with tousled blonde hair, limpid black eyes and a thin and dainty frame. His looks won him plenty of fangirls, and goodness-knows how many actresses.

He dutifully went out with one or two of them, but nothing ever came of it, except for temporary career-boosts. The girls he worked with bored him with their talk of themselves, and the adoring fans overdid their flattering of him to the point of annoying even him, the vainest actor in Japan.

Then one day he was on set for some teenage talk-show thing, he wasn't really paying attention to which. He was stood in his usual pose, leaning against some piece of the set with a bored expression on his pretty features, thinking about how much he hated Tsuki at the moment, for being so damn clever and taking away his entire spotlight.

And then the mass of workers running around in front of him parted for a moment, and he saw her.

She was so lovely. Her hair was long and ebony, falling across her shoulders and swaying slightly, her skin was pale peach, like cherry blossoms in spring, the brief glimpse of her eyes that he managed to get told him they were blue, blue as sapphires.

And then she vanished among the mass of people.

Jay's eyes widened and he bolted upright, suddenly pushing his way through the crowd and ignoring the yell from the director that he was needed for the next shot.

What did that matter? What did any of his fame matter, so long as he got to see that girl again Jay honestly felt like he couldn't care less. She was the only thing in his life so far to have sparked a feeling like this in him, to have made his knees turn into jelly without even speaking, and…

He caught up with her, poetic verses bouncing though his head. He tapped her shoulder.

"I…um… I know this is pretty weird… I'm Jay Amane, and you're the prettiest girl I've ever seen!" he blurted out all at once, all of his usual grace and charm evaporated by nerves.

The girl turned slowly to face him.

And it suddenly occurred to Jay that not many girls were actually taller than him, or had quite such broad shoulders, or such a squared chin.

He let out a little squeak of embarrassment and leapt backwards. "I didn't realise you're a-!"

The boy in front of him smirked and tilted his head, arms folding neatly. "Guy? Don't worry, you're not the first to make the mistake."

Jay didn't know what to say to that. What was worse, though this girl was in fact a guy, he didn't think him any less attractive. His stomach churned.

"Cat got your tongue?" The boy questioned. He held out one hand, "Either way, hi, I'm Taro Kagami."

Jay nodded. It seemed like the only response his head could some up with.

"I'm in the band." Taro said calmly, nodding towards the drum kit being set up nearby. "This is the part where you say something, by the way."

Jay's brain gave his mouth a mighty kick and quickly blurted out, "I…I'm an actor!"

Taro rolled his eyes, "I know that, can't go anywhere without seeing your face on some poster or another." He grinned that strange, almost evil grin again, "I knew actors were dumb but this is ridiculous."

Jay finally knew how to respond, he'd been dealing with people talking down to him for most of his young life, even his little sister did it. His eyes darkened and he scowled, "I am not dumb!"

Taro raised an eyebrow, "Sure you're not. Are you going to ask me out now or not? Because I really need to start rehearsals."

Jay felt a blush creep across his cheeks, "I'm not gay!" he snapped, before turning and storming away. On a whim, he turned back and added, "And I could do better anyway!"

But Taro wasn't even listening.

~*~*~

L felt an insistent tug at his sleeve and turned slightly, gaze automatically going down to meet the large black eyes of his daughter.

She was a strange little girl, even by L's standards. As Mello often muttered, she looked like a doll from a horror movie. Her long black hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail, her mother dressed her in gothic little dresses, Misa's version of 'cute'.

Below her eyes dark patches were forming. L and Misa had tried everything to get her to sleep at night, but it soon became obvious that they were loosing the battle and they agreed that she would sleep when she was truly tired, as L did.

"Daddy. Tsuki drew a picture."

She spoke so softly and calmly; it seemed bizarre to hear that voice from a child. L took the drawing she was offering.

This was why she was allowed to play in the investigation room, because more often than not, she was solving the cases with her father and uncles.

The drawing showed precisely where a bullet in the latest case would be found, using a theory Tsuki had clearly come up with that involved the shooter being someone other than the main suspect.

She'd even added the mathematical calculations.

She'd drawn flowers around them.

L didn't bother questioning this, he knew by now that Tsuki was very rarely wrong. He simply typed a message to his contacts to change the investigation, and returned the picture.

"Thank you, Tsuki."

She nodded, her expression not changing, before she moved back to sit with Near, quietly solving one of his puzzles.

"Jay-san is in a bad mood." She said calmly.

Five seconds later Jay was heard storming past the door of the investigation hub, muttering to himself and snapping occasional words.

Matt sighed, "Whose turn is it to deal with the princess?"

L frowned a little, "I wish Matt would not refer to Jay like that, it only makes him angrier, however true that description might be."

A/N: _For the record, Jay is gay, and if you happen to have a problem with that you might want to stop reading because it's going to be a big theme :) _


	8. Good Mood

As it turned out, no-one could get though Jay's bad mood, even Mello, usually so good at making the kid be friends again, drew a blank, stating that he didn't want to go near him in that mood.

Jay was just so enraged that Taro had dared to speak back to him, and implied that he was…

He was…

Jay didn't sleep for a week. His mind, however blonde and empty it might have been usually, was full of questions. Was he gay? He'd never been attracted to a girl, really, before. Not in the same way that he had been to Taro.

That he _was_ to Taro.

He hated himself for it, but Jay had to admit, despite wanting to hate Taro Kagami, he found himself daydreaming about his face and eyes and the way his long, black hair shone.

He felt like a silly little schoolgirl with her first crush. He found himself quietly writing Taro's name in his notebooks when he should have been listening to Watari's lessons.

He knew his family would notice and start questioning him about his distracted attitude lately soon enough, and he dreaded that. Not that they'd have a problem with him liking boys, he'd long ago cottoned on to the fact that uncle Matt and Mello slept in the same room for the same reason. No, he was more fearful of their teasing.

It didn't help that he was scheduled for filming on that same set for several more weeks, there'd be no way of avoiding him, with his deep blue eyes…  
By the end of the week, Jay was sure of only one thing. That he was attracted to Taro, and he _had_ to speak to him again.

So after the last day of filming, he ran and grabbed the taller boy's shoulder before he could leave.

"Taro!" he gasped.

Taro turned and raised an eyebrow, "Hey, if it isn't the little celebrity, talking to a random band member."

Jay scowled, "Cut the crap, You weren't exactly nice to me either."

Taro sighed and nodded, "All right, all right. I didn't mean to upset you or anything." He tilted his head, long black hair falling attractively over one ice-blue eye. "How about we start over?"

Jay smiled, liking Taro more and more every moment, now that he wasn't talking down to him like everyone else did. "I'd like that, thanks."

Taro smiled back, then held out his hand. "I'm Taro Kagami, and you're Jay Amane, right? I always thought you were really hot in the movies."

Jay actually felt a blush creep across his cheeks, something which had never happened when he was complimented by a girl.

Because he took their compliments for granted, and he knew they were all the same.

Coming from Taro they meant something.

"Thank you." He squeaked, taking Taro's hand, shaking it and holding on for a second too long.

The dark-haired guitarist noticed the lingering touch, and it clicked in his head that Jay had probably only just realised his attraction to other males. He smiled a little wider, thanking his lucky stars that the pretty little blonde had obviously chosen _him_ for his first crush.

"So Jay… you wanna go out for coffee or something?"

Jay nodded, "Sure… that might be fun."

Taro offered his hand once more, "Come on, I know a great place, they serve killer strawberry shortcake."

Jay felt his heart flutter, and not just at the mention of his favourite dessert. Someone was taking _him_ out, not the other way around, someone wanted to hold _his_ hand, he wasn't being forced by publicity, someone genuinely did think he was cute, and wasn't just trying to get something out of it.

Jay's family, for all their collective intelligence, couldn't work out why all of a sudden his temper lifted like a fog in the wind. He was being so much nicer to all of them than he ever had been that Matt speculated the kid was on drugs or something.

It was only when L pointed out his concern to his wife about Jay's sudden attitude change that it all became painfully obvious for the detectives, who could, after all, be quite dense in their own way.

Misa just laughed and replied to L's concerns, "You mean you don't know? It's obvious why he's so happy all of a sudden, L!"

L blinked. "…it is?"

Misa sighed and hugged her beloved detective, before chirping, "He's in love, silly."


	9. So Well

It was all going so well. Taro and Jay were spending every spare waking moment they could find together, disappearing into movies theatres and the darker corners of Tokyo's restaurants, having long, languid conversations about their lives and everything they wanted to be.

Taro told about his lonely childhood, about how he'd never really known what he wanted until he spotted his guitar in a shop window. Then he'd known he wanted to be a rock star.

Of course he mother was entirely against it, but there was little she could do to stop him, and Taro added bitterly that his father had vanished some time when he was six years old.

Jay was fascinated by how different their lives had been. It seemed such a strange idea to him, living in a house rather than a tower. Only having a mother rather than being surrounded by family. Having a dream that was taking time to achieve, rather than having everything handed to him on a silver platter.

But as I said before, it was all going just a little _too_ well, and fate had to step in and mess it all up.

It was late one evening, after a round of photo shoots, Jay was sitting with Taro in a little café, both sipping coffee, Jay with a slice of strawberry cheesecake in front of him.

And Taro spoke.

"Hey, Jay-kun, what do you say to going out clubbing tomorrow night? There's a new one opening up, we could-"

Jay frowned a little, "I don't know…"

"Oh come on," Taro winked one blue eye across at him, "I'll protect you."

Jay blushed and shook his head, "Taro…" he sighed. "Look, you know I love being with you, but… I have to be careful, the press and-"

Taro blinked, "What about the press? Jeeze, we're not gonna do anything bad, just go out like normal teenagers do."

Jay didn't answer that. He wasn't sure how. He could hardly explain to Taro that he hadn't even come out to his family yet, let alone the press. He could hardly say he was afraid of the effect the young love might have on his career.

Taro scowled.

"Oh, I get it." He snapped. "That explains why you never want to go out where we might be seen. Ashamed of me, are you? Don't want people to know the gorgeous Jay Amane is slumming it with some musician?" he stood up before Jay could speak, throwing some change down to the table, payment for his half, and stormed out of the café.

Jay sat in stunned silence.

And slowly he realised that Taro's outburst had attracted attention. And people were staring at him. Whispering.

Whispering things like 'Isn't that Jay Amane? Was he out with a _boy?'_

Jay managed to get to his feet and out of the café before the tears came.

~*~*~*~

Two days. Two damn days was all it took for the trashier of Japan's magazines to pick up the rumour that Jay had been seen out with another boy.

Jay was used to media attention, he really was, and he'd learned well from Misa how to avoid it and ignore it.

But it was hard, when he walked downstairs and caught Aunt Mello and Uncle Matt sniggering at one of those magazines.

It was the one that had produced several liars, claiming to be ex's of Jays. Saying vicious things about what he did with them.

He turned to run out of the room, and instead barrelled straight into Watari.

As the two were picking themselves up, L walked over, helping first his elderly companion to his feet, then reaching for Jay's arm.

"I understand Jay-kun is the subject of a media frenzy." He spoke in his always emotionless voice. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Of course he knew there wasn't. But he was under the impression that in these situations, his duty was to be a father, and attempt to comfort his son.

Jay scowled, "Oh sure, can you shut down all the papers? Can you have those lying pigs killed? Can you make it so no-one thinks I'm a slut?" he snapped, voice close to breaking just from the misery of it all, "Can you get my boyfriend back so I don't have to be on my own?!"

Mello lifted his head, "Boyfriend? Which one's the real one, there's like, six in here." He gestured to the glossy magazine.

Jay didn't answer. He ran instead.

L turned and frowned at Mello.

Matt elbowed him in the side. "Mells, for a genius, you've got no common sense."

Jay ended up stumbling through Tokyo's streets, flush with unhappiness, trying hard to avoid the press who were now hounding his every move.

He ended up doing something very stupid.

He walked down an alleyway on his own.

And he didn't think to check whose the footsteps were behind him. He didn't think he could possibly be in any danger.

He didn't even really know that some people, full of hate for those who were attracted to their own gender, might decide to hurt him for being who he was.

Which is probably why he didn't think to fight back when the first heavy blow to his head sent him sprawling into the dirt.


End file.
